human being.
The Will of Stanley Brooke
As a close acquaintance of Stanley Brooke's rather than a friend, Ernest Bond probably noticed his oddities the more readily.
These oddities became apparent soon after Brooke learned that he was dying of cancer. First he sent out to the libraries for medical books and journals, in an obvious attempt to find some cure the doctors had overlooked. Then, when he found no solace in orthodox medicine, he began to search volumes of faith-healing, and Bond realised how desperate he was becoming. It was not until the final phase that Bond began to worry; but he was disturbed by Brooke's quest through ancient grimoires for some answer. He watched Brooke slide gradually into depression, and knew of nothing he could do to help.
He was all the more surprised, therefore, when he arrived at Brooke's house one afternoon in response to a call, and found the owner sitting up in bed smiling.
Brooke placed a bookmark in the yellowed volume he had been reading, and put it down beside him. 'Sit down, Bond, sit down,' he grinned. 'I'm afraid I didn't ask you round just for your company — there's some business we have to discuss, but I told you that on the 'phone.'
'Yes — well, what can I do for you?'
'I want to dictate a will,' Brooke told him.
Bond wondered if the man's condition had brought on amnesia. 'But you've already made one.'
He had indeed made a will, and at his death five people would receive an appreciable legacy. His three sisters and his brother would come into a few thousand pounds each — while Emily, one of the sisters, and his niece Pamela, who had insisted on being his housekeeper for some years, would also come into possession of the large house. Strangely, Brooke was notoriously mean, and remarked that the vultures could pick up what they liked once he was dead, but he could not afford to be generous while alive.
'I know I've already made one,' he said impatiently. 'My mind hasn't gone yet, you know. I want to make a new one. The people next door are going to act as witnesses — they're probably downstairs now. It's completely different from the old one — you see, I've found out something—'
He reached for the book beside him, hesitated, and left it where it was.
'But first you must promise not to tell anyone any of the terms of the will until after I'm dead… All right? Good. Now let's get the witnesses up here.'
As Brooke dictated, the lawyer realised why he had been made to promise. The terms of the will shocked him exceedingly; and for some time he debated whether he should keep that promise — whether he should not at least hint the amendments to Brooke's sister Emily. But she would be bound to have it out with Brooke; and, besides revealing Bond's indiscretion, this was surely not the kind of barrage to which a dying man should be subjected. So the lawyer continued to debate.
The decision was taken out of his hands when, on August 6, 1962, Brooke died.
He was buried four days later in St Mark's churchyard, Brichester, and on the afternoon of that day Bond described the general terms of the will to the expectant relatives.
'Impossible,' said Terence Brooke, the dead man's brother. 'I flatly refuse to believe it.'
'I'm afraid it's true all the same,' the lawyer insisted. 'I can't give you the details until the beneficiary arrives, but I can tell you that under the terms of the new will none of you will benefit—'
'The worm!' Emily said. 'After all I did for him, and what my daughter did too—'
Pamela James, her daughter, was obviously upset by the whole business. 'I wish you wouldn't use that horrible word, mother,' she protested. 'After all, this man's going to get Uncle's money, and there's nothing we can do—'
'Oh, shut up, girl!' snapped Emily. 'I don't know about the rest of you, but
'And how are you going to recognise this fellow,' Terence Brooke inquired, 'when nobody's ever seen him before?'
'That's the queerest thing about all this,' Bond replied. 'This man — William Collier, he calls himself — is the exact double of the late Mr Brooke. If that isn't enough, he'll be carrying a letter proving his identity written by Mr Brooke, in an unfranked envelope with his name on it also in Brooke's script.'
'When are you expecting him to arrive?' Joyce, another of the sisters, put in.
'That's odd, too,' said Bond. 'I asked him that — because, as you know, I can't open the will until Collier arrives — and he just said '
On August 17 the lawyer was invited round to the house on King Edward's Way, into which, in spite of protests, Emily and Pamela James had moved. He arrived just before five o'clock, and joined them at tea. Not long after, Terence, Joyce and Barbara, the third sister, arrived.
Quite soon the real reason for this gathering became apparent.
'Mr Bond,' asked Emily, 'do you think it would be ethical for you to point out to this man how distressed we all are by this new will? We don't want all his legacy — it wouldn't be right to interfere with Stanley's wishes like that — but maybe if the six of us got equal shares—'
'Oh,
'I must say I agree with the girl,' Terence said. 'We didn't know we were coming to this, you know.'
'Will you all please be
The lawyer was saved from the quarrel he would have caused by a knock at the door.
'Don't get up — I'll go,' he said quickly, and opened the door for William Collier.
Bond recognised him at once, yet for a moment it had been as if the dead had returned. Every detail was reminiscent of the dead man except one, and that only added to the unpleasant illusion; for the man's skin was almost white, and abnormally translucent.
'I'm William Collier,' he introduced himself. 'I heard Stanley Brooke was dead, and came as soon as I could.'
'Yes — won't you come in?' Bond invited. 'Have you had a long journey? Perhaps you'd like something to eat — we're just having tea.'
'Thank you, but first—' Collier hesitated. 'Well, I
'Yes, of course,' said the lawyer. 'It's the door right at the top of the stairs. But here, let me take your coat.'
As he hung up the coat, Terence Brooke appeared in the dining-room doorway. They watched the figure to the top of the stairs.
'I like the way you make him feel at home!' Brooke remarked. 'So that's the new tenant, is it? My God, it's going to be like dining with a corpse!'
'The resemblance certainly is striking,' Bond began, but was interrupted by the arrival of Emily.
'You two can go back inside,' she told them. 'I want to meet him when he comes down, and then introduce everybody.'
As he sat down again at the table the lawyer heard footsteps on the stairs, then an inaudible conversation outside the door. Soon Emily ushered in Collier, and introduced those present, adding: 'We all expect to get something under the will,' at which Collier's face briefly took on an odd expression.
A rather uncomfortable silence ensued. Barbara, who was notoriously fond of macabre humour, took advantage of an offer from Emily of cold meat to remark:
'No, thanks, I don't care for meat very much. I always think that if you eat pieces of animal, you'll get to look like them.'
'How do you make that out?' Pamela prompted.